Rick Santorum

[Classicblast]

I never heard of this guy until just a few weeks ago and here he is running neck and neck with the frontrunner in the first GOP primary.

Its pretty well known among the Lewasite community I am a Republican and Blastgirl's family never would have let me marry her if I was not a GOP affiliate. I am teasing of course.

But the table discussions have been who to support in the primaries.

For friends who are not republicans please don't be offended by this discussion, but since we are a republican family that's the only primary we would be able to vote in.

For weeks the discussion has come back and forth that Ron Paul is a bit too old, New Gingrich and Mitt Romney probably have the most experience. There's mixed opinions of Rick Perry among us but Santorum is a totally new person to look at.

Obviously Kimm usually mentions histories of elections that Ronald Reagan attempted twice before the 1980 election when he did get elected and that it took most candidates at least two attempts. But not always. Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama were all elected on their first attempt.

Its interesting discussion anyway.

[Jersey]

I'll give the rundown of my takes on each candidate, since pretty much anyone that frequents these boards knows I am GOP affiliated (not without my criticisms of the party though).

Mitt Romney.

Generally considered the most electable. But everyone must remember he is from Massachusetts, one of the most liberal states in the union. Scott Brown, the Republican senator that took notorious liberal Ted Kennedy's seat, has generally voted along party lines but has been known to cross paths and vote with the liberals. Bottom line? I don't trust any politician from Massachusetts. They are almost always liberals, or left leaning. On Mitt himself, his religion (Mormon) doesn't bother me. It wasn't until Kennedy that a Catholic was president anyway. I hate his healthcare reform that he passed while governor of Massachusetts because it was the basis of the unconstitutional Obamacare. He also hasn't taken a firm stance on curbing illegal immigration, and I have yet to see much of a plan in terms of getting the government out of the business of businesses and putting people back to work.

Can he beat Obama? Possibly. He's one of the ones with the best of chances because of his wide appeal. But if elected, he needs to do what he has been saying he will do. The backing of John McCain could help or hurt, I'm not really sure yet. I'm quite furious with McCain right now, but my fury is for another post at another time.

Rick Santorum.

It's nice to hear about someone newer to the scene. Pros: He has argued for traditional marriage and the defense of it. He is pro-life. He sticks to conservative values, and his Democrat replacement has been behind Obama all the way. Cons: I don't know enough about him or his career to make any calls. Which is a con in and of itself; he's relatively an unknown.

Can he beat Obama? I'm not sure, but I would have to say probably not at THIS point. He would have to use his Iowa win or showing as a springboard to put himself out there. So far I like the guy because he seems to closely match my own values, but we need to find out more about him if he wants to surpass moderate Mitt Romney. But he could make a good conservative alternative.

Newt Gingrich.

Never liked him much. Pros: Essentially led the Republican surge in the mid-90s elections, which produced the first balanced budget seen in decades and the last one as well once the Democrats regained control. Pro-American in his speeches and talks, and believes in American exceptionalism. Decent foreign policy. Orchestrated welfare reform and the first tax cut for Americans across the board. Cons: Has not led a conservative lifestyle, with two divorces and a confirmed affair. Had to resign as speaker after poor party showings and his failure to help gain a conviction of impeached Bill Clinton. Stood with Nancy Pelosi in solidarity on the global warming hysteria, which demands more government control and regulation to stop a myth. Profited largely from housing market bailout at the expense of taxpayers.

Can he beat Obama? Probably. But I'm not sure he has the wide appeal that is needed. I personally don't like him, and neither do many conservatives, but he would obviously get my vote over Obama.

Ron Paul.

I like, but also don't like a lot of things about Dr. Paul. Pros: Staunchly pro-life. Votes against any legislation he feels violates the constitution. Wants to abolish the Federal Reserve and put us back on the gold standard. Wants to end welfare and reform entitlements to get America back on fiscally sustainable paths. Wants to pull the government back and restore more power to the states. Says NO to the nanny state. Also wants to pull America back from foreign soils, end our dependence on foreign products and oil, and unnecessary financial aid that we don't have to those that don't deserve it. Opposes amnesty for illegals and favors closing the border.

Cons: Has a tendency to blame America for the 9/11 attacks. Doesn't support a strong military. Doesn't support an American presence on the world stage. Refuses to acknowledge Iran as a grave threat. Will not stand with Israel. Comes across as isolationist.

Can he beat Obama? I think he could. But he can't be so isolationist; Iran is a world threat right now, and I can see the viewpoint of leaving them alone as a potential way to solve the problem, but letting a violent country plot and run wild without having some way of counterattacking them quickly wouldn't help. I believe they intend on destroying Israel and us along with them, regardless on our stance at that point. And I don't like hearing anyone blaming America, so that costs him points with me. But, I do feel he's the best candidate.

Rick Perry.

Should pull out of his campaign. While generally conservative and acknowledges Obama's war on religion, he has supported a form of amnesty with illegals and doesn't have the best conservative record. He does support the 2nd amendment and rejects global warming, but he ordered a mandatory HPV vaccination for girls as governor which suggests big government leanings.

Can he beat Obama? No. He's a distraction at this point and the left has torn him apart.


John Huntsman.

A joke. Should go home now. Can't beat Obama. Too liberal. That's all I have to say on him.

Bachman has pulled out. Though a strong conservative, the left wing media has a well established history of tearing down female conservatives. She didn't have the broad appeal anyway.

I'll add more as we get closer to the election. I personally can't wait to help boot Obama out of office.

[Ordinaryguy]

Pretty much agree with Jersey, none of the candidates is perfect from a very conservative perspective. I think Santorum is fantastic but I worry he doesn't have the money or traction to win the nomination. I've liked Gingrich in the past and was definitely supporting him when it looked like he could beat Romney but people I respect have said too many negative things about him which I think is why he plummeted. I can't consider Paul because of his weak foreign policy even tho he's great on other issues. I really, really liked Perry, but similar to Bachmann, the Communist media viciously went after him and made him look dumb, while Obama is treated like a supergenius.

[Classicblast]

I don't like Ron Paul's attitude toward the military but I have liked his viewpoints most of the time.

It looks like Jersey has yet to decide between Gingrich and Santorum but has it narrowed to those two.

I don't really know the election game that well but I think this about political elections and campaigns: I think they're a lot like sports. If the bandwagon seems to lead to Santorum and his message impresses the bandwagon riders, the financial support will come.

Just like teams invest in players who are hitting the ball. That player has to hit in key situations but if Santorum does that the financial backing will get stronger.

[Ordinaryguy]

I think I would be happier with a Santorum (or probably Gingrich) presidency but the biggest difference between politics and sports is, instead of the winner becoming the guy with the most money becomes the winner. Which is why I'm sorry to say it will probably be Romney (this is coming from a former Republican National Committee intern for what that's worth) Romney is more moderate than I'd like but still 10,000 times better than Obama

[thunderbird]

I was getting kind of excited about Gingrich but the recent events have shed new light on the whole situation.

Not that anybody cares too much about the views of a business operator who is only a parttime site participant but I will look at this anyway.

I am 42 years old as so many others mention their age so that's how old I am. I remember how my father grumbled during the Carter years even though I was kind of little at that time. Its not the fact of being a republican family because the Clinton values were not our pleasure our business did not suffer while he was President.

It was Clinton who was in the white House when the bulk of the transformation of the business went from my father to me. I had no trouble doing business or operating until the last 2 years.

We're not in danger of not surviving, at least not now, but the last 2 years it has been harder than ever before thanks to some restrictions. I do definitely strongly pray Obama is not reelected. Most independent business owners are making the same prayers.

I am still leaning Gingrich but I do not know yet for sure who I will support.

[Phil]

Santorum is from Butler, Pa. Just about an hour from Bradford.

I am liking him a lot. I like his conservative views. And I have already said I will vote for whoever the Republicans put up I have never disliked a President like I do this guy.

Clinton and his womanizing and his waffling on issues didn't please me but I do at least think he was for the good of this country I do not feel that way about Obama.

[Jersey]

I've done some research and am making this post with a bit more information about the candidates.

On Santorum, he is now my favorite candidate for president. Why? The left wing media is already attacking him and branding him as a racist homophobe. Usually you're doing something right if those particular brandings are being dished out, since they are usually when liberals are flailing, on their heels, and need to pull out their trump cards. So if they're pulling those this early, Santorum is dangerous to the left and therefore a favorite of mine.

I found out that Santorum was solidly behind Ronald Reagan when he was running for president against Carter, and stood by one of the greatest presidents in American history even when the campaign was struggling and seemed doomed to fail. As for Mitt Romney, I've come to find out that when he was running for the Senate against Ted Kennedy, he trashed Ronald Reagan and attempted to use that platform to gain the favor of liberal voters in Massachusetts. It didn't work, and as far as I'm concerned costs him A LOT of points with me. Santorum is a true conservative. Romney is fake.

[Ordinaryguy]

Jersey that's brilliant! I love the idea of Ron Paul as Treasury Secretary, that seems like the perfect place for him. So great to be among smart conservatives.

[Kimm]

Its just a thing that Herman Caine got accused of being anti black for not supporting Obama. I guess its not ok for a black man to be conservative. Alan Keys gets a lot of ridicule from the left about being disloyal to his roots.

Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman get ridicule from the press and the women on the View for not being pro abortion. I guess thats anti womens rights if your not willing to kill babies.

I remember an woman analyst said of Sarah Palin "shes not for any of the womans issues that are important."

That means shes not pro abortion. Neither am I but I!

[Mahnarch]

Rickie San! Beiru go tabemasta!

[Mahnarch]

Sorry.
I got caught up on a Spanish forum before posting here.

[Classicblast]

Jan 8, 2012 1:48:17 GMT -5 Mahnarch said:

Sorry.
I got caught up on a Spanish forum before posting here.

I guess you have to press 2 now for English.

[Phil]

Its felt Romney will run away with New Hampshire.

[Classicblast]

Romney did win New Hampshire but I wouldn't say he ran away with it. Surprisingly the second runner up was Jon Huntsman. Ron Paul was the first runner up that does not surprise me.

I am not sure what that means for the remainder of the race I am sure it will be a long campaign.

[Jersey]

Jan 11, 2012 1:54:52 GMT -5 Classicblast said:

Romney did win New Hampshire but I wouldn't say he ran away with it. Surprisingly the second runner up was Jon Huntsman. Ron Paul was the first runner up that does not surprise me.

I am not sure what that means for the remainder of the race I am sure it will be a long campaign.

I should probably include some more information on Huntsman, since he's somehow managing to gain attention. More than likely it's due to the fact that there are so many inconsistencies in the American people when it comes to picking a candidate that we feel matches us the closest. Since Huntsman is a RINO and the latest pre-election polling was done in notoriously liberal New Hampshire, it doesn't surprise me that many people who identify as Republicans in that area don't typically show signs of values that would constitute the ideals of conservatism.

One thing about Jon Huntsman Jr. that I really don't care for is that he formerly worked in the Obama administration as ambassador to China. At the time, those in the political fields were considering it a savvy move by Obama in appointing someone from the "other side" to serve in his administration. But is Huntsman really from the conservative side? I think not.

He is widely considered a RINO (a liberal in Republican clothing) due to his record as the former governor of Utah. His tax policies were praised, but then he proceeded to spend like a liberal; excessive spending money that doesn't exist or puts the state or country into further debt or deficit is a liberal hallmark. Not only this, he has supported the man-made global warming theory and has advocated for same-sex marriage. The fact that he claims to be pro-life indicates that he is a liar in that regard because nobody I've ever seen that supports same-sex marriage has frowned upon abortion.

Many speculate he is a joke candidate that is meant to siphon support away from the front runner in a Ross Perot/Ralph Nadar type of campaign. Since he worked for Obama, it would seem highly suggestive that he may be an election tool (as well as a tool in general) to help siphon votes away from Romney in the hopes of helping hand Obama a reelection. We saw this happen in New Hampshire, so I tend to think this may be the case.

No matter what the situation, he's a RINO and an even bigger waste of time than Romney.

[Phil]

I don't see Huntsman drawing votes away in a major way.

Unless you mean that he is there to make a less formidable candidate get nominated and therefore improve Obama's reelection chances. I don't think some of the views by those like Huntsman being similar to most of the nation. I do not like to stereo type but it seems to me that Utah voters and social values are somewhat different from other areas.

There's a large pocket of polygamy practiced in Utah. Brigham Young, was a famous governor and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Young was a teacher, governor, community leader who was proven to run his community efficiently but he did believe in and encourage polygamy. Much of the Salt Lake region even a century and a half later is the off spring of the Brigham Young community though.
Ty Detmer is a graduate of Brigham Young University. Thought I'd throw that in there.

Somehow the Utah area hasn't changed as much from its stereo types over the years. It may just be a case where generations of people are raised there and seldom does anybody move in or out.

I can be entirely wrong but I think that's the impression most of us outside the area have.
I like Santorum, I don't dislike Ron Paul or Mitt Romney, and I have always liked Gingrich.

I think Rick Perry is too crassly spoken for the job as President.

[Mahnarch]

It looks like Mitt is a shoe in for the whole thing.
Newt is tanking. Huntsman has support but, not enough. Santorum isn't well known enough.

I'm on the fence for Mitt but, I have insider info about him that's reassuring.

I don't know if this is public knowledge but, it's been overheard that Mitt said:

"I'm pretty sure I will only be a one term president. I will shut down so many fat, bloated government programs that the left and the media are going to hate me by the end of four years...